AMERICAN HISTORY - 8th GRADE
TEAM 8B- MS. LEWIS-RUDDY
Welcome to American History. I am looking forward to an excellent year. This class will provide your student with an opportunity to understand why the U.S. is the way it is and where we are headed in the future. If one does not study the history of their country, then a nation can not avoid repeating mistakes of the past.
During the past week, our class reviewed school,team and class rules. Your student wrote down information that I requested for needed contact phone numbers and e-mail address. This paper is due tomorrow, August 25th. Students will be reviewing the District Code of Conduct this week. When they bring the form home, please sign it and check off the box for media approval. These two forms will be your student's first grades in my classroom. It is important that I and the school/team have these documents.
The only supplies recommended for class are a small notebook,a duo tang type is sufficient, pencil, notebook paper, a red pen and one divider to separate notes from hand-outs. I have informed the students that I will not accept notebook paper from a ringed binder, the type that needs the edge torn out. The students can take notes on this type of paper, but I will not accept it for hand-in work.
Text books will be going home soon. It is imperative that the student reads the chapter once the books are home. I prefer to do co-operative group work. I find it is well suited to studying history. The student will do the majority of this work in class, but some will have to be done at home, too. The class will start coverage of Chapter 3, the American Colonies. This will begin as soon as the Code of Conduct is completed.
You may contact me through this site or by writing to Susan.Lewis-Ruddy@browardschools.com. The school phone number is (754) 323-4600. When the phones are connected in the portables, I will post my extension.
I look forward to working with your student and with you. I know that a student's successes are dependent on your support at home. I thank you in advance for all that you do for your student.
September 22 - September 26
I have lost several weeks of "schoolnotes" postings. Several teachers have been having problems with the system.
Today we reviewed for Friday's upcoming chapter test on both 3 and 4. The students will be permitted to use all notes, graphic organizer and worksheets.
Some test questions will cover:
The Navigation Act: why did England impose this Act on the colonies? What did it state?
After the French and Indian War, what land claims switched hands (between countries)? Who now owned Florida, port of New Orleans, Canada, lands East and West of the Mississippi?
Ben Franklin exemplified what way of thinking ...a new "era?"
The Proclamation of 1763 was written by whom? Why was it written? How did the colonists feel toward the person that wrote the Proclamation? What did it state?
Know the definitions from the worksheets: subsistence farming, cash crops, export/import.
What was George Washington's original profession?
What was the Iroquois Confederacy?
Bring your graphic organizers and make sure they are complete for the test.
I will be grading the worksheets from Chapter 4, the graphic organizer and your agenda on Friday!
You may also go online to taj.glencoe.com and review for the test. This is the website for the textbook. Our book is American Journey, Florida Edition, 2005. There is no charge to use this website.
Please remind your students that our team takes no late work, and agendas are graded in my room on Fridays.
It is imperative that all students participate in the textbook reading time in class since the books can not go home at the present time.
Please contact me at any time through this web site.
DECEMBER 16TH:
We are finishing Chapter 7 in our text. Students' worksheets are due by Friday, prior to winter break.
As in past years, I will allow to students to do an extra credit project over Winter Break. It is due on January 7th. Students already copied this information today and had a discussion of the requirements.The rubric will pasted in this information. The directions are very specific. If you review the information with you student, please make sure they follow the guideline.
EXTRA CREDIT PROJECT
1. General Information:
a. DUE Date: January 7th,2009
b. IF NO NAME, PERIOD AND DATE: NO GRADE
c. MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE RUBRIC – IF YOU WILL NOT MAKE A NINETY (90) PERCENT, I WILL NOT GRADE YOUR PROJECT
2. Pick a topic from the following list: The Gold Rush, Oregon Trail, Transcontinental Railroad, War of 1812, The Spanish in Florida, The Alamo/Texas/War on Mexico, Korean War, Vietnam War, Settling Utah and the Mormons
3. Cover Page : 10%
a. Make-up appropriate title
b. Hand-draw a picture to represent your project
4. Map : 15%
a. Make a geographical representation of your project
b. The outline of this (map) may be from the internet, but you must complete other information or graphic representation (for example: mountain ranges, lakes, rivers) by hand
5. Puzzle or Game: 15%
a. Complete a puzzle or game to go along with your project (this can be a vocabulary puzzle or some other type of game) and you may look at the internet for ideas
6. Body of project: 50%
a. This can be a research style paper or a story that you make up using facts
b. This must be a minimum of three pages. The paper is to be double-spaced and no larger than a 12 font
7. Bibliography: 10%
a. You must have at least three references
1. At least one site must be a non-internet site
2. Make sure you cite these references correctly
This is not as complicated as it sounds. You should look up ideas in American Journey, but you can write on something related to the listed subjects from other sources.
Feel free to write me at www.schoolnotes.com, during the Winter Break. (use zipcode 33029)
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Below are notes from this week for Chpt7.
REVIEW CHAPTER 7
Second Continental Congress met to form a “new government.”
PLAN was called : THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION.
Weaknesses: see page 206 study
What did the Articles do correctly?
What was a problem based on the country being at War?
NEW LANDS:
Ordinance of 1785 – Western Land north of Ohio River. Divided up but due to concerns of
“lawless” people, the “Northwest Ordinance” was passed in 1787.
New Territory:
Northwest Territory – lands
North of Ohio River and East of Mississippi River.
* AFTER POPULATION REACHES 60,000 –FILE FOR STATEHOOD.
* BILL OF RIGHTS FOR SETTLERS:
TRIAL BY JURY,FREEDOM OF RELIGION, NO SLAVERY IN LANDS
FINANCIAL ISSUES:
DEBT FROM WAR – NO MEANS TO COLLECT TAXES.
PROPOSAL TO RAISE 5% IMPORT TAX. ALMOST PASSED – RHODE ISLAND VOTED NO!
BRITAIN STILL WOULD NOT MOVE TROOPS OUT OF FORTS IN GREAT LAKES AREA. WE HAD NO POWER AS NO TROOPS COULD BE PAID. ALSO, MONEY NOT PAID BACK TO LOYALISTS.
SPAIN CLOSED NEW ORLEANS’ PORT TO AMERICANS. SPAIN WAS FEARFUL OF U.S. EXPANSION INTO THEIR LAND.
THESE ISSUES LED TO THE NEED FOR A STRONGER GOVERNMENTAL “DOCUMENT.”
SECTION 2
DEPRESSION: SMALL FARMERS HAD DAMAGED PROPERTIES AND COULD NOT SELL THE LITTLE THEY HAD. TAXES WERE BEING ORDERED TO BE PAID AND THEY HAD NO MONEY…DUE TO DEBT, LACK OF MILITAR Y PAY AND BARTER SYSTEM HISTORY.
SHAYS REBELLION:
WESTERN MASS. FARMER. HAD BEEN A CAPTAIN IN CONTINENTAL ARMY. FOLLOWERS LED TO THE COURT SYSTEM CLOSING IN FEAR OF REVOLT/VIOLENCE.
UPRISING AT FEDERAL ARSENAL – FOUR KILLED.
PEOPLE WERE FRIGHTENED THERE WOULD BE MORE VIOLENCE.
SEE QUOTES ON PG 200. DIFFERENCE IN VIEWPOINT OF REVOLT.
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Slavery at this time in history:
Contradiction of fighting for freedom and slavery.
1776-1786 – 11 out of 13 States outlawed or taxed slavery. (Two states – Georgia/S. Carolina).
Quakers – first antislavery society.Penn first state with law to gradually free all slaves.
Later, as other states forbid slavery, African Americans still faced discrimination in the North.
Plantation system was built on slavery.
The abolition of slavery in the North divided the country. Issue is should one person hold another…as property/bondage?
Change to Articles of Confederation:
Jefferson and Madison (father of the Constitution)
Washington agreed to attend after Shays’ Rebellion.
Constitutional Convention: Philadelphia – May 1787- 55 delegates. Who were they?
Different plans to settle differences of population issues for representation and population counts/based on slave population.
*****THE GREAT COMPROMISE – PG 204
ROGER SHERMAN:
BICAMERAL/TWO HOUSE/LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
1. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – BASED ON POPULATION.
2. SENATE – TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH STATE.
***THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE –PG 204
SOUTHERN STATES WANTED SLAVE POPULATION COUNTED TO HAVE MORE REPRESENTATION IN HOUSE.
NORTH FELT UNFAIR SINCE SOUTH WAS NOT PAYING TAXES ON SLAVES (CONSIDERED PROPERTY).
FINAL PLAN: EACH ENSLAVED PERSON WOULD COUNT AS 3/5 OF A PERSON FOR PURPOSES OF TAXATION AND REPRESENTATION.
Slave Trade:
So that the Southern States would sign, no further decision was made on slavery: except that after 1808, slavery could be limited by Congress.
Bill of Rights:
Not placed into original Constitution, finally addition came later. Read page 205 to see who did not sign and their reasons. Nine out of 13 States ratified.
Section 3
See pg. 213 Bill of Rights/Ratification of Constitution.
Some would not sign without a bill of rights to protect citizens basic rights, per the English Bill of Rights and based on Locke and deMontesquieu (pg 208).
BILL OF RIGHTS PROTECTS ARE NATURAL RIGHTS.
ALSO KNOWN AS THE “FIRST TEN AMENDMENTS.”
BILL OF RIGHTS ADDED AFTER THE NEW GOVERNMENT TOOK OFFICE IN 1791.
FEDERALISTS VS. ANTI-FEDERALISTS (211-212)
FEDERALISTS:
Strong Central Government
Washington and Franklin supported
Madison, Jay and Hamilton –The Federalist Papers
ANTI-FEDERALISTS
Opposed ratification of Constitution without Bill of Rights
Felt the Constitution would take away “freedoms” that were fought for in the War.
Wanted more local government power.
BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
Shared powers: Federalism- the sharing of power between the federal and state governments. This is a distinct feature of U.S. Government. (208-209)
State: marriage, education, state roads, trade within state borders, state laws and welfare of citizens.
Federal: power to tax, raise an army, regulate trade,declare war…and other “necessary” laws.
The Constitution and laws passed by Congress: the supreme law of the land. Disputes between States and Federal Government are decided by the Supreme Court.
Checks and Balances: (see Branches of Government below) No one branch has more power than the others. This was to make sure the that each branch can be “checked” by the other two so no majority of power. (pg 210-211.
Branches of Government:
Executive Branch– President, Vice-President, Cabinet Legislative Branch- Congress – House of Representatives and Senate *MAKES THE LAWS
Judicial Branch – Court system. One Supreme Court and lower federal courts.
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I hope all of you have a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. Please make sure your student is on time on their first day back, in January and with necessary supplies.
Thank you for your assistance all year.
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